Davenport bed



Dec.l 10, 1957 M. Fx ETAL Y DAVENPORT BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1.955

Dec. 1,0, 1957 M. Fox ETAL 2,815,514

V VDAVENPORT BED Filed July 20, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v4F15. E

/arz Y Fox 6e orge F/Ydsel Dec. 1o, '1957 i FOX m.. 2,815,514

DAVENPORT BED Filed July 20' 1955 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 75 l 76' h, INH 77 78 t "A 72 I| .L/ Y Sa/ if. l abiti-1 9 M j MHH" I|||| I|l ||||lI I rg/52a F11-fj a :eoyflgvasse DAVENPORT vBED Martin Fox and George F. Hassel, Chicago, lll., assignors to The SengCompany, a corporation of Illinois Application IJuly 20, 1955, Serial No. 523,290

7 Claims. (Cl. 5-13) This invention relates to an improvement'in davenport bed construction, and in particular it relates to the type of davenport bed in which the front section of a plurality of articulated bed sections is inverted to serve as a seat frame in davenport position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a davenport bed in which the several bed sections are iirmly locked together in davenport position so as to locate the seat frame in a precisely fixed position, and especially to resist any tendency of the seat frame to be tilted by the pressure exerted on it by the mattress and bedding.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism by which the locking of the parts during movement to davenport position may be assured, even though the bed is carrying a thick rmattress and bedding which could cause the locking elements not to engage.

The preferred bed structure has four articulated bed sections which are supported in a davenport frame, `and which are provided with suitable linkages to move the bed sections from a coplanar bed position in 'a first movement to an intermediate position and in a `separatesecond vmovement to a davenport position. In intermediate position the front bed section is inverted and occupies `a position above and parallel to a more rearward bed section, while in the movement from intermediate position to davenport position the front bed section `and lthe more rearward bed section substantially maintain theirrelative intermediate position locations while the more rearward bed section folds with respect to the rearmost bed `section and the entire articulated bed structure `folds into the davenport frame.

The locking mechanism includes a pitman on'theffront bed section which is so linked that during the first movement from bed position to intermediate position the pit- :man swings from a substantially horizontal location alongside the front bed section to a downwardly extending position with its lower end adjacent the more rearward bed section. A lock plate on the more rearward bed section is suitably linked to rock over a stud Von the-pit- ,man during the separate movement to davenport position, so as to iirmly lock the seat frame in a predetermined davenport position.

If there is a thick mattress and heavy 'beddingit-may hold the front bed section so high'that the 4stud on the pitman is above the lock plate, so that engagement between the lock plate and the stud can not take place during the separate movement to rdavenport position.

The mechanism by which this type of malfunction is avoided is an overriding dog which is pivoted on 'the latch plate and has a .stud engaging nose which may engage the stud to hold it down before the lock plate rocks over it. There `is an audible click as the Ydog engages the stud; and if one does not hear the click at`the end lof the iirst movement from bed position to intermediate `position he knows that the stud is notin'positiontol beengaged Lby the lock plate. 'He maythen'press down'ontheseat frame until he hears the-click'as `-the ldog engages 'the tates atertt port position, in the usual manner.

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stud. As the lock plate rocks over the stud during movement .to davenport position the dog overrides the stud so as not to interfere with return of 'the parts to bed position.

The invention is illustrated in the preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal `sectional View of a davenport bed constructed in accordance with the invention with the articulated bed sections in intermediate position;

Fig. 2 is a view'similar to Fig. vl with the bed sections in davenport position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken as indicated along 'the line '3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 4is .a front 'elevational view of the lock plate and overriding latc'h dog; and

Fig. `5 'is 'an end elevational View of the lock plate and voverriding la'tch dog, `viewing Fig. 4 from the left.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the davenport bed of this invention is provided with a wooden davenport frame, indicated generally :at '10, said frame including a base portion 11, back portion 12, and arm portions 13. The base portion includes a front rail 14, a back rail 15, end members 16 and front and rear feet 17 and 18, respectively. Extending upwardly at each-end'of the vfront rail 14 is an arm front member 19, and at each end of the'bac'k rail 15 is an upright'back end frame member 20. Arm top frame pieces `21 extend from 'frontf to rear of the frame at the upper ends ofthe arm front framepieces 19 and are secured at .their yrear ends to `the'back 'frame 12.

'frame piece`27 onto which is screwed a iixed bed mounting bracket 28. Secured to the frontrail 14 and to the base end members '16 are a pair of frontppivotplates 29.

The `bed pstructurefitselfiis formed of four articulated bed sections 30, 31, 32.and 33 which are pivotally con- `nectedat 34, 35 and 36,'thepivots for said .connections bengmounted in nylon bearings. Each of the articulated bed sections is formed in the conventional manner from angle members which are riveted together, and `a continuous wire spring structure of conventional typeis supported in said bedsections. Thefront bed section `33 occupies an invertedgposition to serveas a seat frame when the mechanism is.in davenport position, and will therefore sometimes be referredto hereinvas the seat frame.

Thebed sections Yare supported in thedavenport frame 10 Iby.means of apair of curved swinging arms 38 which .are pivoted to.support brackets .28 at 39 and have their lower ends rivetedto the bedsection 30 at 40;.and by a `pair of supporting arms 41 which are pivoted at 42 ori-the front mountingplates 29. ,At the outer end of each supportingarm 41`is a pivot 43 which provides one connectionfor a link 44 which has its opposite end pivoted to a ,bracket 45 -on the'bed section'30. A tension spring 41a extends from each supporting arm 41 to the bed section 30, to assist initial movement of the mechanism-from daven- On the bed section V31 immediately forward ofeach supporting arm 41 is a pivot 46 for a locking plate 47 which has its upper end valsoconnected to. the pivot 43 on the supporting arm 41. The'locking plate 47 is `one of themajor components of the'latching mechanism/for' the seat frame, and its function inthis regard will be Ydescribed in detail hereafter.

'The pivots 35 between-the bed `sections 31 and 32 also `serve as mounting pivotsifor-folding intermediate legs 48 which are connectedtoge'ther by means of a transverse `'cross-brace@ V'an'dwhich-are provided'with pivots 50 for "links 51 by-mean-sfofwhich the intermediate legs 48 are linked to the locking plates 47 through pivots 52 on said locking plates.

Connecting the bed frames 31 and 32 are bracing links 53 which make pin and slot connections with section 31 and are pivoted to the section 32 by means of a headed stud 54. Also pivoted on studs 54 are guide links 55 which have pivots 56 at their outer ends for connection to lock pitmans 57 which in turn are secured by pivots 58 to front bed section 33. The pivots 56 have projecting stud-like portions 59 which are adapted to cooperate with the locking plates 47 as will lbe described in detail.

Mounted on the bed frame 32 is a pair of fixed brackets 60 to receive a front trim board 61 which surmounts the front rail 14 of the base frame 11 when the mechanism is in davenport position, as seen in Fig. 4. Spring covering fabric 62 extends loosely from the front trim board 61 to the end rail 63 of the front bed section 33 so that the davenport cushions do not rest directly upon the spring 37. At the rear of the trim board 61 is mounted a flexible pull strap 64 which extends through eyelets in the fabric 62 so that it may be grasped in folding o1' unfolding the mechanism.

A pair of front legs 66 are pivoted on the bed section 33 at 67 and leg links 68 connect the upper ends of said front legs 66 to pivots 69 on the brackets 60 for the trim board 61.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, each of the locking plates 47 is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, and is provided with apertures 43a, 46a and 52a for the correspondingly numbered pivots by means of which the locking plate is pivotally mounted on the bed frame and is connected to the various operating links. Adjacent the aperture 46a for the pivot 46 is an arcuate stud positioning surface 70 which merges toward the body of the locking member with a lock notch 71 which has a generally straight rear margin 72 merging at its upper end into an ear 73 which overhangs the notch 71 and has a pivot 74 for an overriding latch dog, indicated generally at 75. The latch dog 75 has a forward cam surface 76 which terminates at its lower end in an open hook-shaped stud engaging nose 77 which is located above the positioning surface 70 in the intermediate position of Fig. 1. The hook-shaped nose 77 includes a latch surface 78 and a downwardly extending overriding finger 79 which is in front of the opening to the notch 71 in the locking plate. Spaced rearwardly from the overriding finger 79 is a generally rectangular latch-out arm 80 the forward edge 81 of which stands upright in line with the notch 71.

When the bed sections are in bed position, and during the iirst movement toward intermediate position the overriding latch dog 75 occupies substantially the position shown in Fig. 4. As the bed sections approach intermediate position the stud 59 on the pitman 57 strikes the cam surface 76 to swing the latch dog rearwardly (to the right, or counterclockwise) from the position shown in Fig. 4, and as the stud 59 passes around the front of the nose 77 and under the latch surface 78 there is an audible click as the latch dog swings forward, or clockwise, and the overriding finger 79 strikes the stud 59. The stud is then irrnly held between the latch surface 78 and the positioning surface 70, as seen in Fig. l. If the person folding the bed does not hear the click he knows that the thickness of the mattress and bedding on the bed sections has held the foot bed section 33 up too high for the stud 59 to enter the notch 71 in the locking plate. It is merely necessary, under these conditions, to press down upon the front bed section 33 to compress the mattress and bedding until the click is heard as the stud 59 passes under the latch surface 78 and the dog 75 swings forward, or clockwise, until the overriding finger 79 strikes the stud.

A person folding the bed may then grasp the strap 64 adjacent the davenport trim board 61 to swing the bed structure through its separate movement from the intermediate position of Fig. 1 to the davenport position of Fig. 2. As this movement takes place, the links 44 and the supporting links 41 acting on the locking plates 47 rock the locking plate counterclockwise about its pivot 46, thus carrying the upper part of the plate forward to roll the notch 71 to a position above the pivot 46, as seen in Fig. 2, where the stud 59 is held down by the straight rear margin 72 of the notch 71.

As the foregoing separate movement takes place, the pivot 74 for the overriding latch 75 moves forward with the upper portion of the locking plate 47, so that the movement of said piv-ot with respect to pin 59 turns the dog counterclockwise; .and when the pivot 74 passes the pin 59 the overriding iinger 79 slides completely over the stud 59 and the latch dog starts to swing freely clockwise toward its normal position, but is stopped Iby contact of the forward edge 81 of the latch-out arm 8@ with the stud. Thus, when the parts are in davenport position the overriding dog occupies the position shown in Fig. 2.

During return movement from davenport position to intermediate position the locking plate 47 rocks clockwise about its pivot toward the position of Fig. 4, and the dog latch-out arm 80 stays behind the stud 59, keeping the stud in the recess 79a between the overriding finger 79 and the latch-out ann 80 so that it is free from any latching action by the dog when the parts reach intermediate position. Thus, the pitman 57 is free from any interference with further movement of the foot bed section 33 from intermediate position to bed position. During this last movement to bed position the stud 59 strikes the rear of the overriding inger 79 and swings the latch dog clockwise about its pivot 74. As soon as the latch dog is free of the stud 59 it returns by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

l. In a davenport bed having a plurality of supported articulated bed sections whose front sections are movable in a irst movement from a bed position to an intermediate position and in a second movement from intermediate position to a davenport position in which the front bed section overlies a rearward bed section to serve as a seat frame, seat frame locking means comprising: releasable lock members to secure said front bed section to said rearward bed section, one of said lock members being an arm pivoted on one of the bed sections and having a stud member, and the other being a lock to engage the stud after the second movement of the bed sections to lock the seat frame in a substantially fixed davenport position; and a pivoted overriding latch dog associated with said lock members, said latch dog having a stud-engaging nose including a notch to hold the stud adjacent the lock member in intermediate position following said first movement, and an overriding surface to override and release the stud during said second movement to locked davenport position, whereby reengagement of the stud in the notch is avoided in a return movement from davenport position.

2. The device of claim l in which the nose of the latch dog has a latch surface which is generally horizontal in intermediate position to bear on said stud, and has a downwardly extending overriding finger between the stud and the lock member to disengage the dog from the stud during said second movement, and a dog latch-out arm f spaced from said overriding finger which rests on the stud in davenport position to hold the latch dog in an unbalanced position so that it may follow the stud during return movement from davenport position.

v 3. The device of claim 1 in which the latch dog is pivotally mounted on the lock and has a camming surface in the path of the stud during the first movement to intermediate position so that the stud may swing the latch dog to enter the notch in the nose of the dog, the dog has a downwardly extending overriding finger between the stud and the lock member to disengage the dog from the stud during said second movement, and a dog latch-out arm spaced from said overriding finger which rests on the stud in davenport position to hold the latch dog in an unbalanced position so that it may follow the stud during return movement from davenport position.

4. A davenport bed which has a bed mechanism adapted to occupy a forwardly extending ed position or a folded davenport position, comprising: a davenport frame; a plurality of articulated bed sections, the front one of which in davenport position is above and substantially parallel to a rearward bed section to provide a seat frame; link means supporting said bed sections in said frame for swinging movement between bed position and davenport position, said link means including a front linkage permitting the front bed section to be moved from bed position to an intermediate position in which it is above and substantially parallel to said rearward bed section while said rearward bed section remains in bed position; a lock plate pivotally mounted on said rearward bed section and connected to said link means so as to rock as the bed sections move between intermediate position and davenport position, said lock plate having a positioning surface merging into a locking notch; a pitman pivotally mounted on said front bed section, said pitman having a stud which may rest on said positioning surface in intermediate position and which is received in said locking notch as the lock plate rocks over it during movement to davenport position; and an overriding latch dog pivoted on said lock plate above the locking notch, said latch dog having a studengaging nose with a notch to latch the stud on the positioning surface in intermediate position and a finger to override and release the stud as the lock plate rocks over the stud.

5. In a folding and retractable bed structure for a davenport bed having a box-like frame provided at its ends with front and rear supporting brackets: four articulated bed sections including a front bed section which serves as a seat frame in davenport position and a rearward bed section which is below and parallel to said front section in said position; link means supporting said bed sections for a first movement from a bed position to an intermediate position and a second movement from intermediate position to said davenport position; a lock plate pivotally mounted on said rearward bed section, said lock plate having a forwardly open notch; a pitman pivoted on said front bed section; a guide link pivoted on said pitman and connected to another of said bed sections, whereby the pitman is generally longitudinally disposed in bed position and extends downwardly in intermediate position; a stud on the pitman, said stud being adapted to rest on a positioning surface adjacent said open notch in the lock plate in intermediate position; link means connecting the lock plate to the rearmost bed section, said link means being constructed and arranged to rock the lock plate during said second movement to roll the lock plate over the stud on the pitman and lock the pitman and seat frame; and an overriding latch dog pivotally mounted on the lock plate, said latch dog having a studengaging nose including a notch to hold the stud on said positioning surface in intermediate position following said first movement and a finger to override and release the stud during said second movement to davenport position,

whereby reengagement of the stud in the notch is avoided in a return movement from davenport position.

6. In a folding and retractable bed structure for a davenport bed having a box-like frame provided at its ends with front and rear supporting brackets: four articulated bed sections which are adapted to be swingably supported at the rear on the rear supporting brackets on said frame for movement between a coplanar bed position and a davenport position in which the front bed section serves as a seat frame and is positioned above and substantially parallel to a rear bed section; a lock plate pivotally mounted on said read bed section, said lock plate having a forwardly open notch; link means connecting said lock plate to the rearmost bed section; supporting links pivoted on the front supporting brackets of the frame and on the lock plate; a pitman pivoted on said front bed section, said pitman having a lock stud at its lower end; a guide surface adjacent the notch in the lock plate on which said stud may rest in intermediate position; a guide link pivoted on said pitman and connected to another of said bed sections, said link means, said supporting links and said guide link being adapted to permit folding of said bed sections by a lirst movement from a bed position to an intermediate position in which the pitman extends downwardly with the stud on the guide surface, and by a second movement from intermediate position to davenport position, and said link means and supporting links being constructed and arranged to rock the lock plate over the stud during said second movement; and an overriding latch dog pivotally mounted on the lock plate, said latch dog having a nose including a notch to hold the stud on said positioning surface in intermediate position following said first movement, and a finger to override and release the stud during said second movement to davenport position, whereby reengagement of the stud in the notch is avoided in a return movement from davenport position.

7. In a davenport bed having a plurality of supported articulated bed sections whose front sections are movable in a first movement from a bed position to an intermediate position and in a second movement from intermediate position to a davenport position in which the front bed section overlies a rearward bed section to serve as a seat frame, seat frame locking means comprising: releasable lock means on said front bed section and said rearward bed section, said lock means including a stud member and a lock which is movable by reason of the second movement of the bed sections to engage said stud and lock the seat frame in a substantially fixed davenport position; and a pivoted overriding latch dog associated with said lock means, said latch dog having a studengaging nose to hold the stud adjacent the lock member in intermediate position following said first movement, said nose of said latch dog being constructed to override and release the stud during said second movement to locked davenport position, whereby reengagement of the stud and the nose of the dog is avoided in a return movement from davenport position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,098,910 Klopping Iune 2, 1914 1,868,693 Capra July 26, 1932 

